Chapter 6: Prodigy?

Chapter 6: Prodigy?

Ember never thought he would be so thrilled to be able to run again. He had always been quick on his feet, one of the reasons he was a starter for his team, but it was not exactly something he ever loved. The thrill of overtaking someone through sheer force, though, was something he could get behind.

After a couple of years in infancy, now that he could finally run, Ember did not miss any opportunity to sprint at full speed. If he had the Running skill, he would have already gained a few points in it. Regrettably, he did not have any skill slots to spare.

Now that he had learned that common skills could evolve into more advanced forms, he was more inclined to take them. It was a good thing he did not have to wait long. He was about 50 points shy of reaching Tier 2. A single step in any of his Copper skills could be the deciding factor. But now that all three had reached a respectable level of mastery, improving them further took weeks of effort.

He had some epiphanies while watching his sister practise; unfortunately, they did not share many skills in common. Ember reckoned that if he had access to private tutoring from someone proficient in all his skills, he would have already reached Tier 2. As it stood, especially with his mana skills, he often had to improve through trial and error.

Many times, he felt like sneaking into the training fields where his sister and the other boys and girls her age practised. His mother had taken him there a couple of times, though the experience had not been pleasant. Old men and women had probed and prodded him after learning he had advanced to Tier 1. Frightened, he had not uttered a single word, not that they were interested in listening to him. However, whatever they had seen in him, they seemed to have liked it.

Apparently, mana skills, even ones like Mana Sense, were quite rare among children. Advancing to Tier 1 was not especially astonishing; most children in House Blackstone were born at Tier 1.

Ember’s world had been turned upside down when he learned that a few children were even born at Tier 3.

There was little fairness in the world. At least he had managed to awaken his status at a young age, whereas the average age for that was around five.

Of course, those born at higher tiers had it much easier, as their chances of awakening a Copper-ranked skill were much greater.

Ember had gotten away with being seen as a prodigy in mana skills. His mother did not seem thrilled about the recognition, however. After he finally began to call her mom and express himself in slurred words, she had repeatedly told him to keep his skills a secret—at least until his father returned.

Ember had no idea why he needed to be careful around his relatives. But with how worried and cautious she was, he had no reason to refuse. He even kept his training discreet.

Well, not completely discreet. There was that one time he had almost managed to remove one of the light constructs from the wall, until she caught him red-handed. Then there was the time he experimented with the constructs in the bathroom, from the one that created water to the function that purged dirt and grime from the tiles. I might have broken a construct or two.

On another note, he was unsure what to make of his growing childishness. There had been several times when he threw tantrums for trivial reasons, even though he knew he was being unreasonable. Of course, there were also moments when he was completely in control. It was as if there were a clear dichotomy in his nature.

“Em, slow down. You gon’ fall.”

“Don’t worry, mom,” he shouted back as the wind brushed his cheeks. “I won’t fall over even with my eyes closed.”

He kept his eyes open as he rounded the blue-stone street. Sometimes he grew bored with how empty it was. There were supposedly thousands of members in the Blackstone clan, with many more outsiders. Regrettably, this part of the estate was reserved for direct descendants. Their neighbours were akin to this world’s equivalent of highbrow people. They seemed to look down on them for reasons that eluded him.

His mother attributed it to jealousy over his father’s success. Despite the clan’s size, there were fewer than a hundred full-fledged knights among their ranks. His father being at the forefront of the knights should have caused others to fawn over their family as much as they were envious of his father’s rank.

But Ember had only gotten scornful looks. That might be due to his low tier.

Noticing a group of people ahead, he slowed down. They seemed to be approaching him, led by a man he found strangely familiar. Rain was walking alongside the leading figure, who closed the distance between them in a single stride.

Ember did not even have time to step back before the man crouched and lifted him. As he was hoisted onto the man’s shoulder, it finally dawned on him who this person was.

Sir Cliff Blackstone, Guardian Knight of the realm, and his father.

“Little guy,” his father said, lifting him into the air, “you seem to have grown half my stature in the time I was away.”

“Of course,” Ember managed to stammer.

It was an exaggeration. He had grown taller, but his shoulders barely reached the man’s knee.

Behind him, Rain rushed to join them, a slender bag slung over her shoulder, carrying her duelling swords and other training gear. She had come straight from practice and seemed to have already met their father on the way. Their mother joined them as well, her lips curling into a warm smile.

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Without even putting Ember down, Cliff embraced her and kissed her.

“So what am I hearing about Ember being a prodigy?”

Rossana’s smile widened. “Let’s go home before we talk.”

His father carried him on his shoulder as they walked side by side, waving goodbye to his squadron mates.

“I thought you would make time for Em’s second birthday,” his mom said.

“I tried,” Cliff sighed. “Unfortunately, not everything is in my control. You wouldn’t understand the amount of incompetence—” He stopped, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Ohh abyss devour me! Sorry, I have already used that excuse too many times since we married.”

“It’s quite alright,” his mother replied.

“It isn’t, but at least this time I managed to get a long leave.”

“How long?”

“I won’t return to my duties until I prepare Rain for her trial.”

Rossana bobbed her head. “There are still over three years left for that. Are you staying that long?”

“What?” Cliff grinned. “Are you afraid you’d get bored of me?”

Rain let out an exasperated sigh at their blatant flirting, while Ember felt equal parts excitement and dread at his father staying with them. Excited because he would finally get to spend time with him, and worried because he feared his father might not like him as much.

Ember was no prodigy, not by a long stretch. Only he knew the effort behind his skill mastery. If anything to go by the disdainful looks he’d gotten from others, he didn’t like his chances.

But then, Cliff Blackstone seemed nothing like Ethan’s father, though both were absent parents. To give him some credit, Ember did not want to draw comparisons with his past life.

As his gaze lingered on the man, he noticed him pulling items from thin air, stacking them into a pile taller than himself. Where were they coming from? Did class ascension come with an inventory system as well?

His father smiled at him, noticing his curiosity. “Although I have missed both of your birthdays, I did not forget to bring gifts.”

*****

Cliff laughed at the little guy’s antics. At such a young age, he already had quite the eye for things.